Homemade Mayonnaise

I realize I have posted about making my own mayo before, but I failed to post a recipe.  What can I say?  I was young.  Back then, I had a bad habit of posting about the food I made without including a full recipe.  Well, I am now here to rectify myself. 

Mayonnaise is very simple to make, and I almost always have all the ingredients in my pantry.  It is quite versatile, too, as the seasonings can be adjusted to make it fit whatever you're wanting to make.  I have used this basic method to make coleslaw dressing and to give a more Italian flair to my pasta salad.  No matter what you're making it for, it's all about building an emulsion.

For this batch, the seasonings I used were salt, pepper, celery seed, garlic powder, paprika and sugar.  Start out by mixing together the yolk and dry ingredients, and then add the vinegar.  I have moved on from a whisk to a hand mixer, mainly because I was never able to whisk vigorously while slowly drizzling the oil into the yolk.

Once that mixture is combined, start adding the oil a few drops at a time until the mixture starts to thicken.  There's your emulsion!

At this point, you can increase the flow of oil slightly, though still slow, and continue mixing until all the oil is incorporated.

There you have it!  Homemade mayo!  Leave at room temperature for an hour and then keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

Mayonnaise

Ingredients
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1 pinch paprika
2 pinches sugar
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 cup oil

Directions
Whisk together egg yolk and dry ingredients.  Then mix vinegar into the yolk mixture. Continue to mix and start adding the oil a few drops at a time until the liquid seems to thicken and lighten.  Once you have formed the emulsion, increase the oil flow to a constant, thin stream. Continue mixing until all of the oil is incorporated. Leave at room temperature for 1 hour then refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Mayonnaise

I have recently gotten into the practice of making my own mayonnaise, and with such palette pleasing results, I don't know why I didn't try it sooner. I have been making it for a couple months now and it all stemmed from a conversation I had with Eva and Daniel. I don't remember how we got on the topic, but Daniel told me it was easy to make and that his mother had a recipe. In a matter of days, Eva sent me an e-mail with Madame Sutter's mayonnaise recipe; it looked easy enough, so I decided to give it a try.

Basically, mayonnaise is made by slowly adding oil to an egg yolk while whisking vigorously to disperse the oil. The oil and the yolks form a base of the emulsion, while the lecithin from the yolks acts as the emulsifier that stabilizes it. The recipe I got from Madame Sutter also calls for vinegar, salt, pepper, and celery seed. I have also experimented with it a little by adding other ingredients to play with the flavors a bit. I have only made my mayonnaise from whisking it by hand, but it can also be made with an electric mixer or food processor.

In my opinion, the flavor of homemade mayonnaise is far superior to that of any store bought brands, and I know exactly what is in it. Double bonus. It really is so easy to make, too! It is so much fun to see the emulsion form and then continue to build into such a thick consistency; it's like magic. Whisking it by hand, I usually have Valerie slowly drizzle in the oil while I whisk with reckless abandon, it's quite a sight I'm sure. I'm thinking about trying it with my electric mixer or food processor because I am going to have to make a lot of it for the chicken salad we are going to serve for Emilie's birthday party. I don't know if my arm can stand the amount of whisking I would have to do to make several batches. I'm leaning towards the electric mixer because I am afraid of breaking up the emulsion if I use the food processor.

I am glad I finally conquered my fear of making my own mayonnaise. My perception of it being a daunting task was unfounded. I'm thankful for Eva and Daniel nudging me in the right direction, and thankful for Madame Sutter for being so generous and providing me her recipe. Now if I could only get my hands on an authentic French baguette recipe, I'd be all set!